by Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY Sports

by Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY Sports

The high-priced items sit there tantalizingly, goading interested parties to make an offer, which may very well be topped by the next one that comes along. Such is the nature of the free agent market.

But the spirit of this holiday, especially the American phenomenon known as Black Friday, is based not on the pursuit of the luxury items at Tiffany's â?? in baseball terms, players such as Josh Hamilton, Zack Greinke or Michael Bourn â?? but rather on bargain shopping at the likes of Costco, Macy's or Target.

With that in mind, here are five free agents from the discount shelf who figure to deliver a strong return on investment:

Brandon McCarthy: His cost is depressed by perennial shoulder woes, and perhaps also the head injury he sustained as a result of that nasty liner he took late last season, but McCarthy is coming off back-to-back years in which he posted ERAs under 3.35. Only some of that had to do with pitching in the Oakland cavern. McCarthy fared reasonably well on the road (combined ERA of 3.87) and has remade himself into a cutter specialist who issues few walks (1.57 per nine innings the last two seasons) and gets lots of grounders. At 29, the 6-7 right-hander is also a young veteran who provides a positive clubhouse presence, not to mention the funniest tweets in the business.

Scott Hairston: Not one to wait around for walks, Hairston nonetheless supplies nice power from any of the outfield positions. Hairston, 32, has belted at least 17 home runs in three of the last five seasons â?? including a career-high 20 in 2012 â?? despite playing in tough hitters' parks in San Diego, Oakland and with the New York Mets. With a career .302 on-base percentage, Hairston is not going to serve as anybody's leadoff man. Instead, he's an ideal fourth outfielder who can give a boost to the middle or lower part of the lineup at a reasonable price. He made just $1.1 million each of the last two years while posting a .470 or better slugging percentage both times.

Kyle Farnsworth: The Tampa Bay Rays found a cheap closer in Farnsworth in 2011, when he made $2.6 million and saved 25 games, then stumbled upon a cheaper, better one last year. Fernando Rodney took over when Farnsworth got hurt and went on to save 48 games and finish fifth in the AL Cy Young Award race, all for $2 million. At 36, Farnsworth is coming off a season when he endured elbow trouble, pitched in only 34 games and finished 1-6 with a 4.00 ERA. But he has struck out at least eight batters per nine innings each of the last five years and should cost little as either a setup man or a closer alternative.

Ryan Theriot: San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy mentioned time and again in September and October how much he appreciated the job Theriot had done as the team's second baseman until Marco Scutaro bumped him out of the starting lineup with his scorching bat. Despite a slow start, Theriot batted .270 with 13 steals and proved an adept second-place hitter. With a career .341 on-base percentage and World Series rings from each of the last two champions, the soon-to-be 33-year-old Theriot figures to be a valuable addition either as a starting second baseman or a utility.

Shaun Marcum: Not technically a bargain, Marcum still should provide good value for a club seeking an experienced, savvy pitcher for the middle of the rotation. Marcum, who turns 31 on Dec. 14, was limited to 21 starts by elbow trouble, which may reduce his asking price. However, he has posted winning records and ERAs of 3.70 or lower each of his last four seasons despite pitching in unfavorable pitchers' venues with the Toronto Blue Jays and, the last two years, the Milwaukee Brewers. If healthy, he could thrive in a big ballpark.